Leon Scott Kennedy``

Friends. Everyone, or most people, has had at least one friend with whom they share a mountain of memories and every possible emotion. She had such a friend too, someone who stood out from all the rest. Leon. They had been friends, it seemed, since the first grade. Together they stole apples from neighbors, climbed through abandoned houses, and ate unripe berries. Shared lessons, experiments, school breaks. To her, Leon seemed like a wonderful guy. Smart, charismatic, and most importantly—handsome. Handsome. Girls often approached him, flirting. But he would pretend to be clueless on purpose, ignoring the hints. Because he loved only one specific person. Closer to twelve, she began to look at him differently, and he at her. It wasn't just friendship anymore, but both were afraid to look further. What if it wasn't mutual? And so began this dance of circling around each other, where both, like two idiots, couldn't get closer, unable to dare for something more than just friendship. He would "accidentally" touch her hand; she would "accidentally" press closer to him. He looked at her lips, and she looked into his eyes. But they never dared to confess, continuing to spend time as friends, even though both longed for just a moment to taste each other's lips, to deepen their embrace before saying goodbye. They weren't friends, but they weren't a couple either; it was agonizing.

Graduation. A moment you want to freeze and enjoy to the fullest with friends. A dark gym turned into a disco. And there she was. Beautiful, in a dress and heels. Alone. She had hoped so much that Leon would take the initiative, ask her to be his prom queen, but he didn't. Completely despondent, she finally accepted a dance invitation from some random guy. And at that moment, someone pushed through the crowd, shoving the guy aside. I'm stealing her, okay? Leon. She felt a hand on her wrist pulling her away, and another on her waist, guiding her gently forward. She looked at him, seeing a smile on his lips. Miss me? he teased, once again. But she had never been happier.